1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel herbicidally active compounds (i.e., phenoxyalkanecarboxylic acid derivatives) having the formula: ##STR3## wherein Q.sup.1 is CH or N; R is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl; X is H, halogen, CF.sub.3, or NO.sub.2 ; Y is H or halogen; Z is --O-- or --NH--; A is ##STR4## wherein Q.sup.2 and Q.sup.3 are each CH or N; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkoxy, or C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkoxycarbonyl; R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl; R.sup.6 is H, halogen, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl; R.sup.7, R.sup.8, R.sup.9, and R.sup.10 are each H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl; R.sup.11 is H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkoxy, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkenyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 aryl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.15 aryloxyalkyl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.15 aralkyl; R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 are each H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl; R.sup.14 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.15 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkenyl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 aryl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.15 aralkyl; or R.sup.13 and R.sup.14 taken together form C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 alkylene, V.sup.1 and V.sup.2 are each H, halogen, NO.sub.2, CN, or CF.sub.3 ; V.sup.3 is halogen or CF.sub.3 ; W.sup.1 is --O-- or --NH--; W.sup.2 is --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --wherein n is 0 or 1, or CO; X.sup.1 is halogen; or a salt thereof.
These compounds (I) are useful as an effective ingredient for herbicides.
2. Description of the Related Art
A series of .alpha.-(p-phenoxyphenoxy)propionic acid type and .alpha.-(p-pyridyloxyphenoxy)propionic acid type compounds have been developed as important herbicides in agriculture and horticulture. These .alpha.-(p-phenoxyphenoxy)propionic acid type and .alpha.-(p-pyridyloxyphenoxy)propionic acid type herbicides are safe in that they have little influence on useful plants to be harvested, compared with the phenoxy type herbicides formerly employed, and that they have a stronger herbicidal activity. But, these .alpha.-(p-phenoxyphenoxy)propionic acid type and .alpha.-(p-pyridyloxyphenoxy)propionic acid type herbicides have a lower selectivity for plants of the rice family, causing drug damage to, for example, rice, wheat, and barley which are useful plants, and exhibit no effect on some perennial weeds, and therefore, they are extremely limited in, for example, application time and application methods.